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NZ 7s star 'proud' after another big win; 'gutted' not to be playing Aus in final
By Finn Morton
The Black Ferns Sevens have booked their place in the Sydney Sevens final with a dominant display against Ireland on Sunday, which saw them win 41-nil.
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New Zealand began their point scoring onslaught in just the third minute, as Sevens veteran Sarah Hirini crossed for the first of her two tries.
Fellow Black Ferns World Cup winner Stacey Fluhler added another try to her World Series tally just a minute later, as the women in black began to run away with it.
After leading 17-nil at the break, New Zealand piled on another 24 points in the second-half – including a hat-trick to Shiray Kaka.
While the Black Ferns appeared to be in control throughout the entirety of their clash with the Irish, Fluhler insisted that “it felt close at the start.”
“I’m not going to lie, it felt close at the start, I was blowing out there,” Fluhler told RugbyPass.
“I’m proud of our impact off the bench who finished the job.”
New Zealand are now set to face France in a highly anticipated blockbuster on Sunday evening, as they look to win their second Cup final in as many weeks.
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The New Zealand rugby superstar was one of the best players during last year’s World Cup, which included a thrilling win over Les Bleus at Eden Park.
But after returning to the World Series in Hamilton last weekend, the ‘smiling assassin’ hasn’t skipped a beat.
The Black Ferns Sevens may have beaten France in pool play, but Fluhler knows that her team will have to bring their “A-game” if they want to do it again.
“Obviously we played them in pool play so it’s probably a good indication of where they’ve come throughout the tournament,” she added.
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“We have to stay on our A-game and bring it to them because it’s a big one.”
To the surprise of many, Australia haven’t qualified for the final in Sydney.
In fact, they didn’t make it past the quarters. The Australia lost a thriller against Les Bleus 10-5 in the final game of Day Two.
Fluhler said she was “actually gutted” for her Trans-Tasman rivals, although the Black Ferns will be looking to extend their lead at the top of the World Series.
“I’m actually gutted for them, it would’ve been cool to play them at home.
“Obviously they smoked us in 2018 on home turf and we wanted to get them back.
“But it is what it is, it’s a game of Sevens right? Either you win or you lose.
“We’ll take it and hopefully creep up on the overall standings too.”
New Zealand were four points clear of second-placed Australia on the World Series standings before playing in Sydney, and have a golden opportunity to separate themselves from the pack with a win on Sunday.
